Timely utilization of fund key to Northeast India development: Sarbananda Sonowal

GUWAHATI: Union minister of state for sports and youth affairs, Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday emphasized on the timely utilization of funds allocated in the union budget 2014-15. The region has dismal track record of utilization of funds and submitting utilization certificates.

Sonowal who was in Guwahati on Friday said, “The union budget has given an all-time high for Northeast. The development of the region is associated with the budget. But Northeast states have a track record of not giving timely utilization certificate of the fund allocated in the budgets”.
Sonowal said Rs 60,000 Crore is allocated to Northeast India under various sectors in the region.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has asked Minister for Minority Affairs, Dr. Nazrul Islam to submit projects proposal focusing on education, health and skill development to the Ministry of Minority Affairs for allocation of funds under the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) for implementation during the 12th Five Year Plan.

Minister for Minority Affairs, Dr. Najma Heptulla, in a letter, requested Chief Minister Gogoi for his intervention relating to submission of adequate project proposals worth Rs 525.26 crore under MsDP to her Ministry at the earliest. Dr. Heptulla also sought Gogoi’s intervention regarding project proposals worth Rs 519.74 crore that are awaited by the Ministry for consideration.

Even Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Zubin Irani has sought Gogoi’s intervention for timely implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), the Mid-day Meal (MDM) and the Teacher Education programme in Assam.

The HRD Minister, in a communiqué sought Gogoi’s cooperation and support for the critical initiatives for development of school education sector in the State. Irani pointed out that the first tranche of funds under SSA and MDM programmes for 2014-15 had been already released while others were in the process.

Meanwhile Assam has approved the proposal for creation of 400 posts of Technical Advisers in the Assam Police on contractual basis with a view to reducing the pendency of cases in all police stations to 50 per cent within a year.

Technical Advisers to be mostly inducted from retired inspectors and sub inspectors of police would fill up temporarily the 400 posts of inspectors and sub inspectors presently lying vacant in the police stations across the State.

The Technical Advisers would also be inducted from the financial sector to deal with banking/non-banking frauds as well as from judicial sector to tackle cyber crimes. The Technical Advisers would assist SPs in respect of disposal of pending cases and also during investigation.